The House Oversight and Reform Committee advanced the Telework Metrics and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 7951) on June 14 by a vote of 23-16. The bill, introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and John Sarbanes (D-MD), is now cleared for consideration by the full House.

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) endorsed the legislation and was named in the press release upon introduction.

In a statement, FMA National President Craig Carter called the bill “a commonsense approach to modernize the federal government’s telework programs, which was last significantly updated by the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010.” He cited “monumental advancements in technology and new realities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic” to support telework where and when possible.

Carter noted “Managers have often been blamed for impeding implementation of telework among their employees, and this could be remedied with managerial training on how to best supervise and improve the productivity of teleworkers,” and hailed provisions in the bill that help develop supervisor and manager training on telework and train managers and supervisors on how to effectively engage teleworking employees. He pointed out there are jobs where telework is not an option; however, “given the flexibilities technology allows us, it is critical that the federal government adapt and take advantage of the opportunities that telework provides, where possible,” he concluded.

Please click here to track the progress of H.R. 7951.